Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02223039 1997-12-01
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RAZOR HANDLE
The present invention relates to a wet or safety razor having a handle, at
the front end of which a shaving unit is disposed on a forward portion, and is directed
more particularly to an ergonomically formed handle of a razor adapted for body
5 shaving and suitable for use in a disposable safety razor, that is to razors in which the
shaving unit having the blade or blades is perm~nently mounted to the razor so that the
razor is discarded as a whole when the cutting edge of the (or each) blade has become
dulled.
Wet razors are generally known that include a handle which mounts a
10 razor blade unit disposed at a forward end of the handle.
A known razor is shown in German Design Publication M 93 00 457
(Wilkinson Sword GmBH). A commercial product bearing a resemblance to the
aforementioned reference is known to Applicants m~rkete-1 in the United States under
the trade ~le~ign~tion "Silk Effects" by Schick-Warner Lambert Co. This razor has in
15 top view a stubby hourglass shape with a waist and on top is collve2~1y curved and
smooth. The hemispherical rear portion forces the user to put that portion in the palm
while the index finger extends beyond the head portion and is unavailable to guide or
steer the razor.
Another known razor is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,319 (Althaus et
20 al.), which discloses a handle having a compound S-shaped curved configuration in the
l~n~itll-1in~l direction and having lateral sides that are symmetrically concave in cross-
section (see Fig. 5, at inset A) and upper and lower surfaces that are convex in cross-
section (see Figs. 8-10). The convex upper and lower surfaces are shaped into anupwardly curving, partly hemi~pherical portion 4 which is variously convexly curved
25 on its top and bottom sllrf~ces The Althaus patent discloses as its objective that the
handle elimin~tes the degrees of freedom a user has to grasp the handle and forces the
hand to a particular, defined position around its S-curve. A product resembling certain
figures of the aforementioned reference is believed by Applicants to be available in the
C~nz~ n market under the trade ~lesign~tion "Protector" by Wilkinson Sword, Warner
30 Lambert Canada Inc. The Protector handle disadvantageously allows fingers to slip
from the smooth convexly curved top and bottom surfaces and to slip off the upwardly
curved rear portion. The S-curve handle leads to the user constantly mzlking
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compene~ting motions of the hand to rotate the r~or about an axis through the blade
edges, which leads to inconsistent shaving results and unsteady guidance of the r~or.
Another known razor is shown in published European Patent Application
615 820 (Schwarz). Schwarz shows a handle that over most of its length is
S longit~l-lin~lly curved with a constant radius of curvature. The outer surface is formed
either flat or convex by a lldlLsv~ e cross-section that is rectangular or oval,respectively, and may have a rounded end (Figs. 1, 2). Schwarz discloses that this
curved h~ndle forces the user to adopt and m~int~in a single, predetermined handposition during shaving.
Another known r~or is shown in the catalog Roberta Fortune's ~lm~n~c.
(1995 edition, at page 23) under the trade dçei~n~tion "Wally r~or" by the CO~ ~ly
Hoke2, Campbell, California. The Wally r~or is relatively broad, smooth and thinwith a rear rounded portion and a hole in a folcw~ud region for mounting on a hook.
The handle is continuously curved longitutlin~lly and formed of soft rubber which
causes the handle to flex when gripped. Applicants are aware that the Wally r~or is
available in the United States through specialty retail ~h~nnel.e for about $30. A user
tends to hold the relatively broad top and bottom surfaces of the Wally r~or, but the
thin sides are relatively far apart and less convenient.
Another known r~or is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,551 (Apprille, Jr.),
issued Mar. 12, 1996, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, in which a
novel r~or handle assembly is disclosed to be employed with a replaceable shaving
unit for wet shaving. Commercial embo-limente of these r~ors are available under the
Sensor For Women trade clesign~tion from The Gillette Colll~ y. This disclosed
structure has proved to be successful in achieving those objectives set forth in the
patent, and has met with commercial success. The handle disclosed therein is a
composite structure that provides a flat planar gripping portion that is substantially rigid
and partially covered with a flexible elastomeric gripping portion. Some users may
tend to hold the r~or by the wide grip'ping regions on the planar upper and bottom
sllrf~rcs between their fingers, rather than using the side surfaces or placement-in the
palm of the hand to steer the r~or.
A problem of well known inexpensive disposable r~ors is that the r~or
handle is generally unstable during the shaving operation. The f~rnili~r T-handle razor
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has a handle which joins the razor head centrally thereof and extends transverse thereto
with a straight, constant cross-section such as circular or square. However, a problem
with a T-handle is that it is difficult for the user to apply the razor to the area being
shaved while m~ g an evenly distributed pressure along the length of the r~or
S bade. A woman typically prefers to grasp an elongate razor handle along the sides, but
conventional handle construction is such that the user's hand may fatigue because of
the UmldLUI~:Il gripping position required by the handle construction, which is significant
in the case of female shaving over various parts of the body because of the protracted
period of time to complete the shaving operation. The handle portion is frequently
10 textured in some manner to provide a gripping surface for the user, such texl...ii~g
being particularly desirable because of slipperiness hll~led to the handle rçs lltin~
from contact of the handle with soap, water and lubricous shaving lotions during
shaving.
The present invention provides a disposable razor which provides
15 desirable ergonomic char~ct~ori~ics for the handle of a wet r~or and provides a
plurality of beneficially coop~;ldLillg grasping and control surfaces for shaving various
parts of the body with a cornfortable grip and that is economical to m~nllf~-~ture.
In one aspect the invention features, in general, a razor handle suited for
a disposable wet razor on which a shaving unit is mounted. The handle includes a20 fo~ ud portion that carries shaving unit mounting structure, a central elongate portion
that has upper and lower surfaces- and laterally opposed side snrf~eee, and a real ~,v~d
portion that includes a bulbous thickened portion. The bulbous thickened portion is
bent away from the side surfaces in a lateral direction with an approximate ~;ulvdlul~;; of
the thumb of the user to define opposed ergonomic lateral gripping indentations for the
25 thumb and a finger to grasp opposed lateral surfaces of the bulbous portion, and a
median plane of the bulbous portion is bent down towards the lower surface with a
bottom portion of the bulbous portion bent away from the lower surface in the
l~>ngit~l-lin~l direction with an d~p~ ill'late ~ulvdl~e of a thumb to define an ergonomic
longit~l~lin~l gripping pad for the thumb and a finger to grasp opposed l- n~it~ in~l
30 snrf~cçs of the bulbous portion. The upper surface also has a longit-lllin~lly e~ctçnclinp
elonp~te~l orienting channel for a finger forward of the bulbous portion so that the user
can place the bulbous portion in the palm and exert a centering and steering force on
~ CA 02223039 1997-12-01
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the orienting ch~nnel to controllably manipulate the razor handle. This is an
advantageous grip position when a woman shaves the underarms and bikini area.
Furthermore, the bulbous portion also provides, when pinched between the thumb and a
finger either laterally or between upper and bottom snrf~(~e~, a stop to guard against the
5 fingers slipping off the rear of the handle, which is advantageous when shaving the
front as well as the backs of the legs.
The handle of the present invention may feature a generally straight
central elongate portion generally qn~flril~tt-,ral in cross-section, and the bulbous portion
may be wider in a plan view than the princir~l handle width prevailing over the length
10 of the handle. The folw~d portion can have a finger rest disposed folw~LLd of the
bulbous portion so that the user places the bulbous portion in the palm of the hand and
exerts a force on the finger rest to controllably manipulate the razor handle. The finger
rest is preferably configured as a tongue ~ ~t~n(lin~ above the top surface or it can be a
recess. The central portion is preferably provided with ribs adjacent the orienting
15 channel and e~ten(iing along the lateral sides and partially to the lower surface to
enhance finger gripping. The ~1 w~Ld portion preferably is formed as two side arms
which sweep laterally from a juncture with the central portion outward and extend
~lw~L.lly and d~wllw~dly curved towards opposite sides of the shaving unit mounting
structure, whereby the lateral swept sides have a concave contour for grasping by a
20 finger and/or thumb. The forward portion can be comfortably pinched laterallybetween thumb and finger or with a thumb on the lower surface, which is another
advantageous grip position when shaving underarms or the bikini area. T-he fonvard
region bent towards the surface of the skin being shaved provides an extra amount of
"reach" and helps ensure a useful working angle between the handle and the skin,25 which is especially useful when shaving such awkw~d areas as behind the knee and the
~nkle, which is furthest from the shoulder, without forcing the user to contort her body
uncomfortably.
The handle is preferably'formed as a unitary plastics molding, and the
handle is cored out such that the lower surfaces of the central portion and bulbous
30 portion are defined by the tips of cylindrical projections depending from the upper
surface, thereby defining an effective tactile gripping surface on a handle with light
weight and minim~l use of material.
.
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In a further specific embodiment, the center of gravity of the handle is
disposed in a zone that is between one third and one half of the way from the rear of
the handle. Thus, the center of gravity is located close to the palm when the bulbous
end is placed in the palm of the hand. This provides for an improvement of the
S shaving result through an o~Lill.u,ll h~n~lling of the handle by providing the center of
gravity closer to the mass of the hand and further from the dynamically responding
fingers which colllfol~bly steer the razor.
The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more
particularly described in connection with the plefel,~d embodiment, and with reference
to the accolll~lyhlg drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing a safety razor constructed in
accordance with the te~ching~ of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the structure of Fig. 1 in about l.SX
scale;
lS FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view showing further details of the razor handle
of Figs. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the structure of Figs 1 and 2;
FIG. S is an elevational sectional view taken along the line V - V of
Fig. 3;
FIG. 6 is an elevational sectional view taken along the line VI - VI of
Fig. 2;
FIG. 7 is sectional view taken along the line VII - VII of l~ig. 3;
FIG. 8 is a partial elevational view showing an alternate construction
detail taken along arrow VIII of Fig. 2; and
FIG. 9 is an elevational sectional view taken along the line IX - IX of
Fig. 8.
Referring to Figs. l-S, Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the razor. As
best seen in Figs. 2-4, the razor has a one piece handle 10 comprising an elongate
central handle portion 12. Central portion 12 has lateral side surfaces 14, 16 and upper
and lower surfaces 18, 20. Finger orienting channel 24 extends lengthwise along the
center of upper surface 18 and t~nnin~tes at the rear end of handle 10 where central
portion 12 adjoins bulbous portion 22. Bulbous portion 22 is bulbous in the direction
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transverse to central portion 12 and also bends down below lower surface 20 of central
portion 12. The forward portion of handle 10 is formed as a "Y"-shaped yoke
compri~ing two curved arms 26, 28 which adjoin a fol~d area of the central portion
12. The two arms 26, 28 are curved laterally outward and dowllw~d to provide lateral
S finger orienting surfaces and a thumb rest lln~l~rne~th Finger rest 30 is positioned
appr ~xim~tely at the juncture of projecting arms 26, 28 with central portion 12.
Handle 10 comprises at the fol~ l end shaving unit mounting stTucture 32, preferably
formed as rails, to which shaving unit 34 having mounting connect structure 33 is
p~ nently mounted. Shaving unit 34 is mounted between projecting arms 26, 28.
Central portion 12 has ribs 40 ~ten~ling between orienting ch~nnel 24 and each of
lateral sides 14, 16 and çxtçncling down the sides and co.lli..l....~ around the sides
partially onto lower surface 20.
By the term "shaving unit" is meant a body having the skin-eng~gin~
shaving elements positioned thereon to set up the shaving geometry between the
15 shaving el~ment.c, and includes a housing 35 having mounting connect structure 33,
generally of plastics m~t~ri~l, to which is secured, either fixedly or resiliently as is
known in the art, one or more razor blades 36 between guard member 37 at the front
ahd cap member 38 at the rear often having lubricating-strip cap portion 39. It is
plert;lled to p~rm~nently mount shaving unit 34 relative to handle 10 so that the entire
20 razor structure may be discarded at the end of its useful life. The coupling mech~ni~m
between the handle and the shaving unit desirably enables and is con~i~tçnt witheconomical m~mlf~cture of razor components by molding techniques and provides a
mechanically sturdy interconnection between the handle and the shaving unit. A simple
structure is preferably provided by shaving unit 34 having fixed blades 36 and fixedly
25 mounted on mounting structure 32 by mounting connect structure 33 in non-moveable
relation to handle 10. ~ltcrn~tely, mounting structure 32 could be provided as a pivot
joint with a biasing spring, where the pivot joint is formed either as a trunnion or a
shell bearing for pivoting about a virtuàl pivot axis, and mounting connect structure 33
m~tin~ly formed, all as is well known in the art. Also alternately, shaving unit 34 can
30 be formed to be releasably coupled to handle mounting structure 32 to be exchanged
for a fresh shaving unit when the blades are dulled, as is well known in the art.
As best seen in Fig. 4 the outermost surfaces of upper and lower surfaces
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18, 20 and sides 14, 16 of handle elongate central body portion 12 intersect generally
straight surfaces. As shown in Fig. 5, central portion 12 in cross-section presents outer
surfaces intersecting a roughly qu~Aril~teral shape with rounded edges. The length of
handle 10 overall as seen in Fig. 2 is about 117mm, and the length of handle 10 with
shaving unit 34 is about 119-120mm. As shown in Figs. 4-5, central portion 12 has a
length Ll of about 70mm and has width of principally 9.5mm over the major portion
of its length between opposed side surfaces 14, 16 and a height of principally 9.5mm
over the major portion of its length between upper and lower surfaces 18, 20.
As shown in Fig. 3 and in cross-section in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, lower
surface 20 is formed by a series of pin-shaped projections 42 depending from upper
surface 18 and which are shaped either cylindrical or half-cylindrical where they
intersect side s-lrf~ces 14, 16 as well as portions of ribs 40 e~rt~-.n~lin~ onto lower
surface 20. Distal tips 44 of projections 42 collectively define lower surface 20 and
bottom surface 23 of bulbous portion 22. Distal tips 44 provide a pleasant tactile feel
lS and a satisfying gripping surface for the finger or thumb of the user. Projections 42
provide a visually complete article that conveys a sense of "handle heft" and avoids a
large void or cored-out section, while permitting minim~l use of material by forming
handle 10 as a lightweight, one-piece plastics molding.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, bulbous portion 22 distinctly bends down
away from upper surface 18. In particular, bulbous portion 22 has bottom surface 23
disposed lower than lower surface 20 of central portion 12. Bulbous portion 12 bends
down from surface 20 at a radius Rl of about 27.3mm to form rear underside thumbsupport position "A". As shown in Fig. 2, bulbous portion 22 has side walls 46, 48
~ tenclinp transversely outward and intersecting along a droplet-shaped radius R2 of
about l9mm (in plan view), side walls 46, 48 bending distinctly away from each
respective opposed lateral side surfaces 14, 16 with a radius R3 of about 34mm (in plan
view) to form rear lateral thumb and finger support positions "B". The distinct
d~u~e of surfaces of bulbous portion 22 from respective adioining surfaces of
central portion 12 provide lateral as well as underside curved thumb support positions
"A" and "B" that are distinct from surfaces 14, 16 and 20 and that can be located by
the thumb of a user simply by feel. Bulbous portion 22 is comfortably placed in the
palm and acts as a stable pivot for rotation of handle 10 when the user grasps lateral
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sides 14, 16 or places her finger in orientin~ channel 24 or on finger rest 30 to steer
handle 10, as more fully described bclow. Bulbous portion 22 furthermore acts as a
stop to retard the hand slipping off a wet, soapy razor handle, which is especially
useful when the razor is gripped at the rear and used for long stroke shaving as in
5 shaving the legs. Bottom surface 23 is defined by the collective tips 44 in the region
of bulbous portion 22. As seen in Fig. 7 in cross-section, bottom surface 23 of bulbous
portion 22 can in the transverse direction be formed as a flat portion 25 a~pro~ lately
even with side walls 46, 48, which simplifies construction of a mold tool.
Al~Prn~tively, bottom surface 23 can be formed concave, for .o~mrle by having
10 projections 42 in a central region thereof shorter than laterally opposed side walls 46,
48 of bulbous portion 22. Forming the bottom surface 23 of projections 42 rather than
as a solid surface advantageously contributes to a user sensing a thumb conforming
surface in longitll-lin~l and lateral directions since the fleshy part of the thumb can
deform slightly between tips 44 of projections 42.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the forward portion of handle 10 which
supports shaving unit 34 c~ mrri~es bent sides 26, 28, which bend distinctly laterally
outward from respective lateral surfaces 14, 16 and arch d~wllw~udly from lower
surface 20 of central portion 12. Arms 26, 28 bend away from respective opposed
lateral s lrf~ s 14, 16 with a radius R4 of about 30.5mm (in plan view) to form
rc,lew~d lateral thumb and finger support positions "C". As seen in Fig. 6, arms 26,
28 arch down in the lonp~it ~(1in~l direction at a radius R5 of about 18mm (sideelevational view) to form rolcw~LLd underside thumb support position "D" Arms 26, 28
thus form distinct folc:w~d lateral as well as underside curved thumb and fingersupport positions "C" and "D" that can be located by the thumb and fingers of a user
simply by feel. Arms 26, 28 extend laterally outward to a width about 37mm
therebetween, thereby pt..,.;~ g the user to balance applied shaving force over the
entire length of shaving unit mounting structure 32. This permits the user to apply
more balanced forces to shaving unit 34 than using a collv~ ional disposable "T"-
handle razor. The dowllw~u~d arch of arms 26, 28 in the longitu-lin~l direction provides
30 more "reach", which especially assists the user in comfortably reaching areas of the
skin to be shaved when her arm is already e~tende-l This helps avoid the necessity of
having to uncomfortably rotate the hand at an awkward-angle to present shaving unit
CA 02223039 1997-12-01
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34 to the skin, which is especially useful behind the knee and at the anlcle, where the
hand is positioned furthest from the shoulder. Without the downward arch of arms 26,
28, the user would have to stretch her arm an additional amount to obtain a useful
working angular relationship between handle 10 and blades 36.
As shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 5 in cross-section, centrally located finger
orienting ch~nnel 24 provides the user a tactile indication of the center of handle 10. A
finger placed in orienting channel 24 advantageously applies steering control to center
the razor and assists fine motor coordination to pivot the razor about its longit~l~lins~l
axis. Orientin~ channel 24 is at a depth of about 1-2mm, preferably about 1.5m, below
the ollt~rrnost portion of upper surface 18 between left and right humps 50, 52 which
receive a finger therebetween and to which the finger can apply fine motor control
forces. Women like to place a finger on upper surface 20 of the razor to bear down on
shaving unit 34 while shaving, and since orienting ch~nnel 24 extends substantially the
length of central portion 12, orientin~ ch~nnel 24 is ~eces~ihle to be manipulated over a
continuous range of hand holding positions and can accommodate dirr~ t sized hands.
Because orienting ch~nnel 24 provides a tactile indication of its location and because it
can receive a finger, it is especially helpful when a woman navigates the razor in areas
in which she cannot easily see the razor, such as the underarms and behind the legs.
As best shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6, finger rest 30 is located
a~pr.-xi.. ~tely at the juncture of arms 26, 28 with central portion 12. Finger rest 30 is
preferably formed as a tongue-like projection curved at a radius R6 of about 7mmfrom? and ext~n~ling about 2 to 3mm above, upper surface 20. Finger rest 30 provides
a point of force application for a finger, particularly an index finger, to apply a steering
force as well as to stabilize handle 10. Finger rest 30 is located to permit bulbous
portion 22 to be placed in the palm while a finger applies control to finger rest 30.
~ltern~tively, as shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9 finger rest 30 can be formed as a
recess 54 below upper surface 20, the rem~in~ler of the structure in Figs. 8 and 9 being
as in Figs. 1-7.
As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a series of spaced ribs 40 projects from
each of lateral sides 14, 16 of central portion 12. Ribs 40 cover substantially the entire
length of central portion 12. Ribs 40 extend along substantially the entire width of
each lateral side surface 14, 16 preferably transverse to the longitudinal axis of handle
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10 to retard slippage of a wet, soapy handle when held in the hand. Ribs 40 extend
from the lateral sides 14, 16 over hurnps 50, 52 (shown in Fig. 5) to the margin of
orienting channel 24. Ribs 40 adjacent orienting channel 24 can be perpendicular to a
direction of pulling along the longitll-1in~l axis or preferably partially perpendicular to
the longit~ltlin~l axis, which provides sufficient resistance to handle slippage and a
pleasing aesthetic a~peal~lce and also assists drawing the finger into orienting channel
24 to center the razor. Ribs 40 wrap around lateral sides 14, 16 partially onto lower
surface 20 to enhance fine motor control over lower surface 20 as well.
As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, handle 10 has center of gravity 55 located
10 il~ngit~l-lin~lly in a zone that is between one third and one half of the way foreward
from the rear of the handle. As shown in Fig. 4, center of gravity 55 is located a
distance G of about 52mm (in plan view) from the end of bulbous portion 22.
C~-n~i(1erin~ the longer combined handle 10 and shaving unit 34, the distance G to the
center of gravity is about 60mm. Thus, center of gravity 55 is located close to the
15 palm when the bulbous end is placed in the palm of the hand gripping bulbous portion
22. This ergonomically provides center of gravity 55 functionally close to the mass of
the hand, which does not illle.rele with large motion movement of the hand or
encourage fatigue, while optimi~ing the dynamic responsibility of the fingers, which are
located further away, to steer the razor with greater comfort.
In a particular embodiment as best shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 9, curved
arms 26, 28 are formed of members 56, 58 having a partially tubular cross-sectional
wall construction. Tubular mèmbers 56, 58 extend straight and closely parallel to form
elongate central portion 12, while adjacent wall portions of tubular members 56, 58
form orienting channel 24 between their tangency. The open tubular shape has
25 sufficient moment of inertia to provide the desired structural rigidity to handle 10 while
being con~i~t~nt with economic production of a unitary plastics molded part having
il.illl~.l.. m~t~ri~l and light weight.
Applicants' invention pr'ovides multiple finger, thumb and hand gripping
and pivoting structures on an ergonomically friendly and lightweight elongate handle
30 designed for the needs of users who prefer disposable razors. Disposable IlTll-shaped
handle razors are popular especially with female users who prefer to grasp lateral sides
of a handle because these handles are typically made with an effort to minimi7e the
CA 02223039 1997-12-01
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amount of plastics in order to keep costs low, therefore providing the consumer a
product that she can throw away without feeling that much money has been expended
or that much discarded plastic will burden the environment. These users are resistant to
pLc.~ type handle systems that typically are constructed of multiple parts, moreplastics m~tf!ri~1 and are more expensive, and comprise a consumer group with distinct
~l~m~n~1~
Applicants' invention assists shaving body surfaces which include
sen~iLive body areas and/or which are relatively complex in shape and difficult to shave
by providing a variety of cooperating finger, thumb and hand gripping and pivoting
10 structures. For shaving the legs, a woman may advantageously hold the handle at
central portion 12 or more rca~ d at bulbous portion 22 at the lateral grip regions
"B" between a thumb and finger. Bulbous portion 22 can be placed stablely in thepalm and athumb and fnger applied to slip lcL~d~g ribs 40 on lateral surfaces 14, 16
while applying a steering force to orienting channel 24 anywhere along its length or to
15 finger rest 30. The ability of orienting channel 24 to provide centering is especially
useful in shaving legs because of the long reach and extended grasp required, and thus
the fingers cannot be choked up on handle 10 behind shaving unit 34 to provide
control. Bulbous portion 22 at lateral and underside regions "A" and "B" provides a
stop surface in case the hand wanders back in the wet, soapy cllvhonlllent and might
20 otherwise pull away from handle 10. Underside region "A", which is provided with
pad-like gripping projections 44, may be used as a thumb and finger pinch for shaving
the back sides of legs, while the forward arms 26, 28 are bent to access difficult to
reach areas such as ankles. For shaving the underarms and bikini area, the woman may
advantageously place bulbous portion 22 in the palm to steady handle 10 and rest25 thumb and finger on the f~lcw~d lateral concave contoured regions "C". Alternately,
the user could choke up on handle 10 near shaving unit 34 by wrapping fingers and
thumb into concave contoured regions "C" and onto central portion 12, or alternately
pinch the arched underside "D" and pad-like gripping projections 44 of undersurface 20
with a thumb below and a finger above in orienting channel 24.
While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and
described, modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and
therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the disclosed embodiment,
CA 02223039 1997-12-01
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or to details thereof, and d~a-lu.es may be made thel~;rlolll within the spirit and scope
of the present invention and the appended claims.
